Page 41 of Frank's Felon
Frank nodded, though he looked stiff.
“Now we’re done. Everyone clear out. I need to catch up with my mate in private.”
As soon as Delilah rose from Frank’s lap, he bounded out the door without waiting for her. With a resounding bang he slammed the door behind him.
“I’ll go talk to him,” Blade said, directing his comment to Damien as he followed Frank out.
Delilah stood there, not sure what to do. Frank didn’t seem to want her with him, and she was realizing that despite how much he knew about her, she didn’t know all that much about him, least of all what had set him off.
Chapter Ten
FRANK
“Go home, Blade. See to Anna,” Frank said as he stood in the middle of the compound with his back to Damien’s house, arms crossed over his chest, staring out into the dark. He had no idea what was eating at him, but he had screwed up in there, made his discourse obvious to everyone, including his alpha. Worst of all, he had left Delilah behind, as if he didn’t care about her.
Now he had to deal with Blade trying to calm him down.
“If you don’t want to talk, fine, but at least go back in there and say goodnight to Delilah. She looked rather stunned when you left without her. A little lost even.”
Frank winced at hearing that. As hard as it would be to face Damien right now, he had to go back in for her sake. He turned back toward the house as Mason descended the steps.
Mason placed his hand on Frank’s shoulder, stopping him. “I never wanted to leave you behind. No one did.”
“Shouldn’t you be reading a bedtime story to Frankie right about now?”
“She’s waiting up for me. Want to come over, say goodnight? I’m sure she’d like it.”
“Another time.” He wasn’t good company right now, least of all for Frankie.
Mason nodded. “Door’s always open for you, Frank. You know that, right?”
Frank nodded and headed up the steps. He didn’t want Frankie or even Takara to see him like this. He didn’t even want Delilah to see him right now, except he couldn’t walk away without saying goodnight. She’d take it the wrong way. She was still too fragile and insecure here.
This time, he didn’t bother knocking on the door before entering. Going against his alpha’s wishes, even on so minor an issue such as knocking, rubbed Frank the wrong way. His lungs tightened and his throat constricted. When he opened the door, Tess and Damien were talking in low voices in the kitchen. He tuned them out as he sought out the only shifter that mattered to him right now. Delilah—his sweet, scared Delilah—was sitting on the chair he had occupied earlier, staring at the door, looking as if she’d done something wrong. She was blaming herself, and this had nothing to do with her.
Except his actions affected her. He hadn’t been thinking of her, at all.
Bright green eyes met him as he stepped inside. Both Damien and Tess stopped talking and watched them from the kitchen.
“You okay?” Delilah asked. She never let anything hold her back, but she was weary.
“It’s been a long day,” he said, not sure what to do next.
“We were discussing sleeping arrangements,” Damien said, as if nothing unusual had happened. Damien had decided to ignore Frank’s earlier behavior. This was not the time or place, here in front of Delilah and Tess, for what would eventually have to be said.
“I think maybe I should stay here,” Delilah added.
She was his, damnit! Why did she have to fight him on it? “You’re staying with me,” Frank said, as he put his hand on Delilah’s lower back, letting her know she’d be leaving with him.
“Are you ordering me again?” she asked, with just enough petulance to reassure him she was fine. Or so she appeared. Delilah was good at putting on a mask.
“You don’t have to leave. It’s your choice, not Frank’s,” Damien said.
Delilah tucked her hair behind her ear. “I can find another place to sleep easily enough. You two are newlyweds. You need your privacy.”
“That’s Lily’s way of saying she doesn’t want to hear me fucking you, big guy.”
Frank hadn’t missed how she’d tucked her hair back. She didn’t want to stay, despite her words.
